Name: Dark Chocolate Covered Caramel Almonds
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 30g cane sugar; 15g water; 100g almonds (raw or roasted); 5g vegan butter; 90g dark chocolate chips; 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder; A large pan; Two microwave-safe mixing bowls (I like this Pyrex mixing bowl set)

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Dark Chocolate Covered Caramel Almonds – These crunchy almond snacks are so irresistible, you won't be able to stop with just one! Vegan, gluten-free and made with just 5 ingredients.

What are dark chocolate covered caramel almonds?

Chocolate covered almonds can be found at most grocery stores, but these homemade dark chocolate covered caramel almonds are certainly fancier and more delicious!

These irresistible snacks contain caramelized almonds that add a nice crunch to the standard chocolate covered almonds. These are a veganized version of the French delicacy, amandes au chocolat. They are soo much better than regular chocolate covered almonds and can be easily made at home!

What do you need to make dark chocolate covered caramel almonds?

You only need the following 5 ingredients to make these delicious chocolate covered caramel almonds!

Almonds (raw or toasted)
Cane sugar (organic, as USDA organic cane sugar cannot use bone char)
Vegan butter
Non-dairy dark chocolate chips
Cacao powder

Note that most non-organic cane sugar are refined using bone char. Organic, raw, unrefined and natural sugars are often vegan-friendly. I used organic cane sugar for this recipe.

You will also need:

A large pan
Two microwave-safe mixing bowls (I like this Pyrex mixing bowl set)

How do you make these dark chocolate covered caramel almonds?

The hardest part of making these dark chocolate covered caramel almonds is making the caramelized almonds.

How to make caramelized almonds:

Heat up the sugar mixed with a small amount of water in a pan on medium heat. Wait until the sugar mixture bubbles.
Add the almonds into the pan and coat the almonds in the sugar mixture by stirring.
Keep stirring the almonds until the sugar becomes crystalized on the surface of the almonds. Stop stirring and keep heating the almonds on medium heat.
Watch over the almonds and start to gently stir the almonds once you see the sugar melting again. The sugar should be a brown liquid from the caramelization. Keep stirring the almonds gently until all of the almonds are coated in a glossy layer of caramel. Turn off the heat and add the vegan butter to the pan. Stir until it is well incorporated.
Take a sheet pan (or a flat plate) lined with parchment paper and pour out the caramelized almonds onto it. Flatten any clumps of almonds and separate them as best as you can. Leave the almonds to cool at room temperature for 2-3 minutes and then place the sheet pan in the freezer for the almonds to cool down rapidly.
Take out the almonds from the freezer after 2-3 minutes and break up any clumps with your hands so that there are only individual almonds pieces left. Place these in a bowl in preparation for coating and melt the chocolate in either a microwave or a double boiler. If you are using a microwave, heat the chocolates on max setting in 15 second intervals for 1 min 15 seconds or until the chocolate is melted.

How to coat the almonds in chocolate:

Take a few teaspoons of melted chocolate and drizzle it over the almonds in the bowl.
Stir the almonds until they are well coated in the chocolate. Keep stirring until you see that the outsides of the chocolate are matte. The almonds should be hard to the touch and no chocolate should come off on your fingers. Place the bowl in the freezer for a few minutes to chill the almonds.
Repeat steps 1 and 2 until you use up all the chocolate. The almonds should now be thicker and there should be no pieces where the surface of the almond is still visible.
Move the almonds to a clean bowl and add the cocoa powder for dusting. Stir the chocolate almonds until they are evenly coated in cocoa powder.

Tips and tricks...

Use the freezer. Using the freezer to rapidly chill the almonds really helps to cut down on the time. Also, chilling the almonds in between the coats of chocolate is helpful for achieving an even coating as the melted chocolate will more quickly bind to the almonds.
Package them up for cute homemade gifts. These chocolate almonds are a fancier alternative to regular chocolate covered almonds. In addition, they make great gifts when you package them in small bags or boxes!
Re-melt the chocolate residue in the bowl. You can melt the chocolate residue in the bowl and use it to coat the almonds more, or you can just re-harden it and eat it separately. Either way, don't let it go to waste!

These dark chocolate covered caramel almonds are...

Crunchy and smooth
Irresistible, you won't be able to stop with just one!
A fancier version of regular chocolate covered almonds.
Great for gifts!

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these gluten-free? Yes!
How long do these keep? These last a while (few weeks) kept in an airtight container even at room temperature. However, you may find yourself eating most of it on the first day. They can be frozen but may not taste as good after they are brought back to room temperature.
Can I make these with no added sugar? Yes. You can skip the sugar caramel coating on the almonds and substitute sugar-free vegan chocolate chips to make simpler chocolate covered almonds instead!

If your question isn't answered here, be sure to check out the comments section below. You might find the answer to your question down there. Otherwise, please leave a comment on this post so I can get back to you ASAP!

As always, thanks for reading!

Best,